Phil Feagan didn’t expect to run for the N.C. Senate right out of law school, but he decided this year was too important to watch from the sidelines.

The UNC law student, who will graduate this May, is running for N.C. Senate this November as a Democratic challenger in the 47th district, which is in the western region of the state.

Feagan does not have a primary challenger and will face incumbent Republican Ralph Hise.

“This seat was too competitive to not give people a choice,” Feagan said.

He said he is upset with how extreme the current legislature has been and has seen too many of the University’s supporters leave the legislature.

“There’s been a lot of attacks on education and universities, and I thought it was important for people to step up who are interested in maintaining both quality of education and access to the system,” he said.

“Education’s really the biggest motivation for me.”

Feagan, who also attended UNC as an undergraduate, said this is a very important race for determining the makeup of the legislature.

“This race, for a very competitive district, helps determine the direction of policy for education in general but specifically for this University,” he said.

Nathan Denny, a longtime friend, said Feagan is an example of a young person with enthusiasm stepping up to the plate.